This TDEE calculator tells you exactly how many calories your body needs every single day — not a rough guess, but a number based on your actual weight, height, age, and how active you really are. Whether your goal is losing weight, building muscle, or simply eating the right amount — your TDEE is the one number that makes everything else make sense.
What your number means:
Lose weight → Eat 300–500 calories LESS than your TDEE daily
Stay the same → Eat as close to your TDEE as possible
Build muscle → Eat 200–300 calories MORE than your TDEE daily
These are starting points. Adjust based on your
results after 2–3 weeks.
What is TDEE — and why does it actually matter?
TDEE stands for Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It is the total number of calories your body burns in 24 hours — from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep. This includes your resting metabolism, digestion, walking, working out, and every small movement in between.
Most people guess how much they should eat. That guessing is usually why diets stop working. When you know your TDEE, you stop guessing. You have an actual target to work with. Think of it this way — your body runs like an engine. It burns fuel (calories) all day whether you exercise or not. TDEE tells you exactly how much fuel that engine needs. Give it less, you lose weight. Give it more, you gain. Match it exactly, you maintain. It really is that straightforward.
How this calculator works out your number
This calculator uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation — the same method used by registered dietitians and sports nutritionists worldwide. Research consistently shows it is more accurate than older formulas like Harris-Benedict for most people. Here is what happens behind the scenes: First, your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is calculated. BMR is the calories your body burns if you did absolutely nothing all day — just breathed and existed. It is your body’s minimum energy requirement.
Then, your BMR is multiplied by an activity factor based on how much you actually move each day. This gives your final TDEE — your real daily calorie need. The formula is science. Your input just needs to be honest.
How to use this TDEE calculator — step by step
It takes under a minute. Here is exactly what to enter:
Age
Enter your age in full years. Your metabolism naturally slows as you get older, so age directly affects your calorie needs.
Gender
Select male or female. Males generally have higher muscle mass and therefore burn more calories at rest. The formula adjusts for this difference automatically.
Weight
Enter your weight in kilograms. Weigh yourself in the morning before eating for the most consistent reading. If you only know your weight in pounds, divide by 2.2 to convert.
Height
Enter your height in centimeters. If you know your height in feet and inches — multiply the feet by 30.48 and add the inches multiplied by 2.54.
Example: 5 feet 5 inches = (5 × 30.48) + (5 × 2.54)
= 152.4 + 12.7 = 165 cm
Activity level
This one step affects your result more than anything else — so be honest, not optimistic. Sedentary — Desk job, no planned exercise during the week.
Lightly active — Light exercise 1 to 3 days per week. This includes casual walking, light yoga, or occasional gym visits.
Moderately active — Exercise 3 to 5 days per week at moderate effort. Regular gym sessions, jogging, or sports fall here.
Very active — Hard training 6 to 7 days per week, or a job that keeps you physically moving all day.
Extra active — Both a physical job and daily intense training. This is a small group — most people are not here.
If you are unsure, go one level lower than what feels right. Most people overestimate their activity level, and that one mistake throws the whole number off.
What to do with your TDEE result
If your goal is weight loss
Subtract 300 to 500 calories from your TDEE. Eat that amount every day.
This rate of deficit leads to roughly 0.3 to 0.5 kg of fat loss per week — steady enough to see real progress without losing muscle or energy.
Do not cut more than 500 calories below your TDEE unless working with a nutritionist. Aggressive deficits cause muscle loss, fatigue, and make the weight bounce straight back.
The minimum safe intake is 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,500 for men.
If your goal is muscle gain
Add 200 to 300 calories above your TDEE. This is called a caloric surplus.
A small surplus gives your muscles the extra fuel they need to grow and recover after training. A larger surplus mostly adds fat, not muscle — so bigger is not better here.
If your goal is to maintain your weight
Eat as close to your TDEE as possible. Small daily variations of plus or minus 100 calories are completely fine — your weight will stay stable over the week even if individual days are slightly off.
TDEE results for average Filipino men and women
To give you a real-world reference point — here are typical TDEE ranges based on average Filipino body measurements and common activity levels. Average Filipino male (age 25, 65 kg, 165 cm):
Sedentary → around 1,950 calories/day
Lightly active → around 2,120 calories/day
Moderately active → around 2,350 calories/day
Average Filipino female (age 25, 55 kg, 155 cm):
Sedentary → around 1,580 calories/day
Lightly active → around 1,720 calories/day
Moderately active → around 1,900 calories/day
Your own number will differ based on your actual measurements. These are benchmarks only — your calculator result is the one to follow.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is a TDEE calculator?
The Mifflin-St Jeor formula this calculator uses is accurate within 10% for most adults.
That means if your result says 2,200 calories, your real TDEE is somewhere between 1,980 and 2,420. This is why treating it as a starting point matters more than treating it as a fixed rule.
Track your weight for 2 weeks while eating at your calculated TDEE. If your weight changes noticeably, adjust by 100 to 200 calories in the right direction.
Why is my TDEE different on different calculators?
Different calculators use different formulas. The two most common are Mifflin-St Jeor (what we use) and the older Harris-Benedict equation.
Mifflin-St Jeor is consistently shown in research to be more accurate for most people, which is why most modern nutrition tools have switched to it.
Small differences between calculators using the same formula can also come from rounding.
Should I eat back the calories I burn during exercise?
Not necessarily — and this is where people often go wrong with TDEE. If you selected your activity level correctly, your exercise calories are already included in your TDEE. You do not need to add them back.
Only eat back exercise calories if you selected Sedentary but had an unusually active day — like an unexpected long hike or a sports game.
How often should I recalculate my TDEE?
Recalculate every 4 to 6 weeks, or any time your weight changes by 3 to 5 kilograms. As your body changes, so does your metabolism. A person who loses 10 kg will have a noticeably lower TDEE than before — not accounting for that is one of the main reasons weight loss stalls.
Is TDEE the same as maintenance calories?
Yes — your TDEE and your maintenance calories are the same number. Eating at your TDEE means your weight stays stable. That is why it is sometimes called your “maintenance level.”
Can I use TDEE without counting every calorie?
Yes. Many people use TDEE as a rough daily awareness guide rather than precise tracking. You can use it to build a rough meal plan — working out how many calories your typical breakfast, lunch, and dinner should contain — without logging every bite. Precise tracking is more effective for hitting specific goals, but even a loose awareness of your TDEE is far better than no awareness at all.
Related calculators
Your TDEE is the starting point. These calculators
help you take the next step:
BMR Calculator — See how many calories your body
burns with zero activity. Useful to understand
your metabolic baseline.
Calorie Deficit Calculator — Turn your TDEE into
a specific weight loss plan with a daily calorie target.
Macro Calculator — Split your daily calories into
the right amounts of protein, carbs, and fat
for your goal.
Ideal Weight Calculator — Find out what a healthy
weight range looks like for your height and body type.
Body Fat Percentage Calculator — Estimate your
current body fat using simple measurements.